Air-lock.



PA'TENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

H. JAPP AIR LOCK. APPLICATION-FILED APB.-20,1906.

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PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

H. JAPP. AIR LOCK. APPLIOA'TIOR FILED APR. 20, 1906,.

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PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

H. JAPP.

AIR LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR:20,1906.

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' pounds per minute the HENRY JAPP. OF NEWV YORK, N. OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NE

Y., ASSIGNOR YORK, A CORPORATION OF TO S. PEARSON & SON, INO,

NEW YORK.

' AIR-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 20,1906. Serial No. 312,936.

No. 838,336. Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Io a/ZZ whom it may concern: ple, in the wall adjacent to the tunnel'is Be it known that I, HENRY JAPP, a subject mounted a cylinder 10 and piston 11, one of the King of Great Britain, residing in the 1 side of which is constantly exposed to the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county,

pressure of the air in the tunnel. On the opand State of New York, have invented Imposite wall, communicating with the atmosprovements in Air-Locks, of which the 'folphere, is a tap 12, adapted to be automaticlowing is a specification. ally opened and closed by movement of the It is commonly supposed that caisson dispiston 11 through suitable lever-and-link case, which attacks men working under com connections 33 and 13. A two-way cook 14, pressed-air pressure in subaqueous tunnels adapted to be manually operated, controls communication between the interior of the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston from the tunnel and either the pressure in the tunnel or that of the look, as desired and for the purpose about to be explained. In looking out the men enter the look from the tunnel, and the cook 14 being in either of its two positions the pressures on opposite sides of the piston will be equal. The passage between the tunnel and the lock is then closed, and a preliminary reduction of the pressure in the lock is then obtained by manually opening the tap 12 for a very short time. On this slight reduction of pressure in the lock the pressures on the opposite sides of the piston will differ, the cock 14 being then in the position shown by full lines'that is, the pressure from the tunnel being the greater the piston is forced in against the spring 15, and the tap 12 through the link 13 is thus gradually opened. As the difference in pressure becomes greater the spring is further compressed and the tap 12 opened wider until it reaches its open position and the pressure of the lock becomes equal. to that of the atmosphere. Vhen the locking in operation is begun, the tap 12 may be closed manually, or the cook 14 may be turned to the po-- sition shown in dotted lines, which will equalize the pressure-on opposite sides of the piston. The spring 15 then expands, forces out the piston to its original position, and thereby closes the tap 12. T 0 permit of manual operation of the tap 12, the connection ofits lever 33 with the link 13 should be easily detachable.

Fig. 3 shows the same construction having the end of the piston 11 exposed to an independent source of high-pressure air instead or the like, is caused to some extent by a too rapid rateof decompression of the air as the men come out through the air-locks, an have observed that although the men take a fair time to lock out they do so with the tap communicating with the atmosphere open to the same extent during the whole period of decompression, so that if it takes a total of eight minutes to lock out for a pressure of thirty-two pounds instead of the pressure being uniformly reduced at the rate of four first sixteen pounds is reduced in about two minutes, the rate of de compression becoming gradually slower as the pressure inside the lock becomes more nearly equal to that of the atmosphere.

My invention consists in providing the airlock with means to maintain a constant rate or decompression of the air in the air-lock.

My invention may be carried into effect by 1 different mechanical devices.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an airlock. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent sections of different although similar constructions of my apparatus applied within an airlock, showing diagrammatically the difierent ways in which the device may be connected with either the high pressure in l the tunnel or the low atmospheric constant l pressures. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent similar views of a modified form. Fig. 8 shows one of the cooks in detail.

Referring to the drawings, especially to Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates the entrance to the tunnel-shaft, which communicates with the atmosphere and may be considered to have a constant low pressure equal to the atmosphere. T indicates the tunnel or the source of constant high pressure, and L represents the air-lock the pressure of which at the bei of the tunnel pressure. ginning of the operation of looking out will would of course have the same operation.

' the tunnel. At any Fig. 4 shows substantially the same conequal the pressure in suitable point in the air-lock as, for examstruction as before, except that in this case This construction ditions one side of the piston is exposed to a constant low pressure, and the spring 15, which is on that side of the piston and abuts against a suitable collar or lugs 17, is normally compressed under high pressure, such as that of the tunnel or the look at first. On a preliminary opening of the tap 12 by hand, as in the constructions previously described, the spring 15, expanding, will move the piston to further open the tap 12 for the automatic decompression. The tap 12 may be closed by admitting air from the tunnel on turning the cock 14 into the position shown in dotted lines.

.The modification shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 differs somewhat in construction, but the principle involved is substantially the same. Referring to Fig. 5, a cylinder 20 is divided near its center by a ring 21, on one side of which is a piston 22, exposed to the tunnelpressure, and on the other side is a similar piston 23. These pistons are connected by a rod 24 and move together. having suitable adjusting means, acts on one of these pistons, preferably and as shown on 22. A pipe 26 communicates between the at mosphere A and the interior of the cylinder 20 through a cock 27. The cock 27 is provided with three ways to permit either a direct exhaust to the atmosphere or through the automatic reducer. On entering the look from the tunnel pressure is supposedly equal on both pistons. The pressure is then slightly reduced by manually opening the I cook 27 to the atmosphere, after which the operation is carried on automatically, for the cock 27 being turned so as to communicate with the cylinder the air commences to leak out from the lock through the holes 28 in the walls of the cylinder.

As the pressure in the lock falls the piston,

under the air-pressure of the tunnel, is moved farther to the left, uncovering more and more holes, which is equivalent. to opening the cook 12 of Fig. 1 wider. The valve may remain in that position until :the locking-in operation is commenced, during which it will gradually return to its normal position under action of the spring. In-Fig. 6 the same construction is used as in Fig. 5; but, as in the modification shown in Fig. 3, an independent source of high-pressure air is used to act on one of the pistons. The operation is of course the same as for Fig. 5.

In Fig. 7 substantially the same construction is used as above, and under the condescribed with reference to Fig. 4- that is, in exposing one of the pistons, preferably 22, to a source of constant low pressure, such as the atmosphere, and applying the spring 25 to that side of the piston, so

that it is the pressure excited by the com- A spring 25,

pressed spring that in Fig. 4.

i The modification shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 is my preferred form of construction. It will be noticed thatthe separate .tap 12 of Fig. l and connecting-links are done away with, and in the place is substituted the cock '27, which permits either a rapid and direct exhaust from the lock to the atmosphere or through the reducer, as desired.

I claim as my invention 1. An air-lock, provided with regulating means for maintaining a constant rate of change of air-pressure therein.

I 2. An air-lock provided with an automatic regulator for maintaining rate of decompression constant.

3., In combination with an airlock, an automatic reducer, comprising a cylinder and a piston and means connected therewith for regulating the rate of decompression.

4. In combination with an air-lock, an automatic reducer, comprising a cylinder and a piston and means connected therewith and controlled by movement of the piston for regulating the rate of decompression.

5. In combination with an air-lock, an automatic reducer, comprising a cylinder and a piston and means connected therewith and controlled by movement of the piston for regulating the rate of decompression and means for restoring the piston to its normal position.

6. In combination with an airlock, an automatic reducer, comprising a cylinder and a piston, a cock outside of the cylinder, and means whereby the rate of exhaust through said cock is controlled by movement of the piston.

7. In combination with an air-lock, an automatic reducer, comprising a cylinder and a piston having two connected heads, a number of holes on the side of the cylinder adapted to be uncovered by movement of one head, the other head being subjected to and moved by a constant pressure, and a pipe communicating with the atmosphere and the interior of the cylinder whereby the air exhausts through the cylinder and pipe.

8. In combination with an air-lock, an automatic regulator for maintaining rate of I decompression constant and means whereby the decompression may take place direct or through the reducer.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY JAPP.

operates the reducer, as

Witnesses:

GEO. MEYssoN, LoUIs PH. GEYER. 

